The Last Disneyland Ticket Book - June 15, 1982

I recently received a nice email from a gentleman named Jon with the subject "Last Disneyland Ticket Books". Naturally I was interested from the get go.!  His first email read in part: 

"I purchased the last ticket books ever sold at Disneyland.  I went up there on the last day they were selling them and then waited at the last ticket booth window that was open and bought the last ones sold to the public. They closed the window right after I purchased them." 

Of course I emailed Jon back and asked to see the infamous tickets and as you can see below, Jon was happy to provide pictures and an amazing story about the Last Ticket Books Sold at Disneyland.

More from Jon's email that came with all the photos in this post:

"The date was June 15, 1982. The last booth closed at 21:30 hours and we were there.  Just ask my wife, she thought I was out of my mind hovering around the last open booth, waiting for any last minute people trying to buy them. I was anxious, paranoid and elated all at the same time. 

It was not general knowledge that this was the last time ticket books would be sold to the general public. So there was nobody there, and it was rather a non event.  If something like this happened today with Twitter and Facebook there would have been a riot. 

We lived in San Diego at the time and had only been married two years. So this was a lot of money for us to spend on tickets.  We went to Disneyland for the day, and starting about 20:30 I went outside to the ticket booths."

Jon even had his picture taken at the booth #8!  Hey Jon, I'm digging that early eights look, in fact, we looked pretty similar in 1982, I think I had that same jacket!.

More from Jon:

"There were a few open so I kept hovering around until there were only three, then two, then one. I spoke with the two ticket sellers in the last booth and explained to them what I wanted to do.  They were very excited to be the last employees to sell ticket books to the general public and were more than happy to help me out. 

I have enclosed scans of the front and the back of the ticket books.  I purchased an Adult, Junior and Child book.  I also purchased one each of an A,B,C,D,E ticket as well. You can see the booth #8 on the individual tickets."

The tickets look like they just arrived from 1982, Jon has keep them very safe indeed.

Sharp eyes will notice the date code of "815" for May 1981.  I've never seen a lettered ticket book with a later date, they must have done one last big batch and sold them thru June 15, 1982, which I believe we can now officially state that date as the last day Disneyland sold ticket books.

Just in case you don't believe Jon's story, here is his cancelled check from 1982!!!

A HUGE thank you goes out to Jon for supplying these pictures and the amazing details of when Disneyland sold its last ticket book.  THANK YOU JON!

Vacationland - Summer 1965

Happy 57th Anniversary Disneyland!  I couldn't let Disneyland's birthday go by without posting to the blog, after a long and somewhat brutal move I'm ready to start blogging again!

Let's celebrate Disneyland's 57th birthday by taking a look at Disneyland's "Tencennial" with this issue of Vacationland from the Summer of 1965.  The cover shot reminds me of the "Wonderful World of Disney". 

There's that cool giant drum.

There's Magic in this Kingdom.

Loosely detailed map in an odd two color print.

A great centerfold in this issue featuring the Disneyland '65 "Tencennial Celebration" logo

What no steel looping roller-coasters?

It's nice to see the old Farm in Color!

Why wait for Bonus Sunday, download the entire issue now:

***** Vacationland Summer 1965 - 103mb *****

Disneyland - Park Operating Calendar 1979

In case you are wondering (probably not) why the blog been a little slow lately its because I'm in the process of moving.  And of course my blogger den is a complete disaster - July should bring better posts... 

For today please study this Disneyland 1979 Park Operating Calendar, there will be a quiz later.

Hey, June 1979's days lineup just like June 2012! Except that today June 13, 2012 the park is open 8am to 11pm!

Disneyland's Kids of the Kingdom, for a Price - October 1969

Last week Major over at Gorilla's don't Blog had a post (link) of the photo below. Its the Kids of the Kingdom at Disneyland back in June of 1968.  Those outfits are beyond cool.

Check out this October 17,1969 letter from Disneyland's Special Projects Coordinator, it was sent to the Student Affairs Director at Long Beach City College.   If' I'm reading this correct, R.D. Miziker and Disneyland were pimping out the Kids of the Kingdom for a "price"!

1962 Disneyland Flyer - Cavalcade of Bands

In June of 1962 there were two wonderful ways to enjoy Disneyland. Let's take a look

The Guided Tour comes with a pretty lady so that's a fairly easy choice...

Those guests with disembodied heads should choose one of the two ticket book options.

Hey this flyer is looking familiar?  I think "Stuff from the Park" posted this a couple years ago!  Yup (link).

Cavalcade of bands advance tickets $4.95, day of the event (June 2) $5.50!

Since my post is sort of a repeat of "Stuff from the Parks" 2010 post, here's something more original from 1962.  OK, the front isn't original, but the sub sure looks cool!

This part is original, if not somewhat boring.  (From Major: Oh, and that postcard is a bit infamous because it has a misspelling on the back ("Disneyand's" on the third line).  Thanks Major!

Disneyland Youth Activities Price Sheet 1962 - Part 2

It's time for another exciting look at Disneyland's Youth Activities price sheets.  From the Fall of 1962, this sheet has all the Special Information you'll ever need.  Oh, don't bother dialing those numbers, one is a medical supply exchange and the other one is disconnected.

From my April 2009 post (link) here's the Summer and Winter 1962 rate sheets.

And since we are in 1962, let's take a second look at some neato December 1962 slides from Disneyland that I posted in a four-part series a couple of years ago.


Part One (link).

Part Two (link).

Part Three (link).

Part Four (link).

VERSATEL Service Days at Disneyland - Again

If you are a VERSATEL card holder (and if it were October 1984) Disneyland has a deal for you!

Just use your VERSATEL card in any Bank of America VERSATELLER automated teller machine (ATM) and you can save up to $30 on Passports to Disneyland!

From my previous VERSATEL Days post from October 2008, here's the ticket itself and the Guide Book.







Also from 1984 here is the cover to the 3rd version of the 1984 "Your Souvenir Guide". I posted the entire 2nd version here (link).






Here is the Map from the 3rd edition Disneyland Guide.

Pirates of the Caribbean - MPC Model

In my never ending effort to clean and organize my blogger lair, you're going to see some "odds n ends" posts in the next few day.  Today's we've got MPC Pirates of the Caribbean "Dead Man's Raft" Model, well, its just the box, I don't have that way cool "zap/action" model. but I want one!  I like how this doesn't appear to be an actual scene from the ride but its does fit in perfectly.

Some P.O.C. history on the side panel and detail on how the "zap/action!" works. Made and Litho in the U.S.A., sweet!

Check out all the other model kits, I want them all!  Wow, has anyone ever seen a "Jolly Roger Belt Badge"? Belt Badges are "in" don't you know?  An MPC product of "Fundalmentions" huh? A division of General Mills Fun Group.

The new concept of "zap/action!" - I wonder if Darrin over at McMahon and Tate came up with that slogan?

It's time for another Family Fun Night at Disneyland. From Friday May 19, 1967 the Southern California Gas Company had its very own private party at Disneyland from 8:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M.  The Southern California Gas Company is still around of course, but they are now a "Sempra Energy Utility" and they're logo (link) isn't near as cool as it was in 1967.

In case you've missed some of my previous Disneyland "Family Fun Night" posts (or if you forgot them like I did) check them out here:

• September 21, 1967 - System Development Corporation
• November 22, 1968 - Pioneers
• December 1, 1968 - Kaiser Steel & Permanente
• November 22, 1969 - Aerojet
• February 5, 1972 - NVJCC
• February 8, 1975 - NJVCC (again)
• December 3, 1976 - Greater Los Angeles Sunday School Assn.
• May 25, 1978 - Studio One & The Tavern Guild
• March 29, 1980 - A Fun "Party" not a Fun "Night"

Disneyland Welte Orchestration - Plays again!

On a recent trip to Disneyland I wanted to check out the remodel of the Candy Palace as shown on Daveland's awesome trip report from May 8th (link).  In Dave's report he laments that the "beautiful vintage Welte Band Organ is now a popcorn stand" and sure enough as seen in Dave photo, they put Popcorn in front of this wonderful machine.

Here's the exciting part - when I got to the Candy Palace (a few minutes before the park officially opened at 9am) the grand machine was playing!  At first I thought, oh, its just the same computerized music that's been there for years, were the paper roll turns but the sound is fake, Midi's or MP3's that sound lame. You can see and here what it used to be like on this YouTube video (link) and here's a fine post from Days in the Park (link) showing the computer controls

The computer controls are gone, in fact, I couldn't even find anywhere to put a coin!  I was so stunned I just watched and listed for about 5 minutes until I realized I should capture this on video - it stopped 30 seconds later.  I checked back several times and it was never playing again, but here's the proof, they actually fixed this old Machine that Walt Disney purchased in 1953 - I don't like to play "What would Walt think?" but I bet he would be pleased with this - I sure am.

Here's a post from the official Disney blog about the organ: (link)

As for the Candy Palace remodel - decide for yourself.  If you had never seen the old Candy Palace you might even think the remodel is from 1955, I will admit they did one heck of a job making it blend in and look vintage.

Same Candy Man in his updated Palace.

As Dave mentioned, the loss of the seating area next to the Coke Corner is sad, there was plenty of candy in there already!